We will defeat the illegal trade in wildlife

Family of elephants in the SerengetiCredit:
Gary Roberts photography/Alamy

Wildlife is facing a global crisis. The future of some iconic species now hangs in the balance. The numbers are stark and upsetting. More than 144,000 African elephants have been lost to poaching since 2007 [in less than a decade], with savannah elephant populations down by a third. A third of tiger species are extinct, with fewer than 4,000 remaining in the wild; and more than two rhinos are killed every day.

These atrocities are the direct result of the illegal wildlife trade. Organised crime gangs trade slaughtered animals on the black market, pushing them to the brink of extinction.

Many celebrated animals that roam our planet today could soon become nothing more than images in books or on screens. Future generations would not forgive us for sleep walking into that scenario.

The illegal wildlife trade not only threatens species like rhinos and pangolins with extinction, but also breeds...